Public awareness on cystic fibrosis: results from a national pragmatic survey.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a life threatening disorder that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system that represents an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Research has provided effective tools for disease prevention and treatment [1]. Defective gene and its protein product were discovered in 1989 [2–4] and screening systems are available for carrier identification [5] Moreover, new-borns screening for CF facilitates early diagnosis and genetic counselling. Thanks to more effective drugs availability [6, 7], life expectancy has significantly grown in the last decades [8], with more than 45% of the CF patients aged >18 years and with a satisfying quality of life [9].